Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1887-03-31
IN THE MIDDLE WEST.
A Story of Life in the Great
Mississippi Valley.
BY ALvA MILTON KERR.
lCorTRIoHT. 1886. ny THE A. n. KELLOGG
NEWSPAPER CoMPAsY.1

That the jurymen in Fowler's case
had covered themselves with honora-
BILE glory went without question, since
the general face Of Openstone glowed
with satifaction as the result Of their
deliberations was blown about. But
Joel looked very sour; this effort Of
John Earrings. coupled with the en-
comiums which il elected, filed him
with bitterness; besides some political
and private loadstones which he had
secretly put into position to draw
the jury back. had been overcome
by John Earrings "froth and raw
ings." as he called it. He said little,
however, as he went about with the
corners Of his big mouth drawn down
and his under lip drawn up until his
little cellar stairway of chins was quite
drawn away from its moorines inside
his eighteen-inch collar. Only one
thing seemed magical enough TO turn
the vinegary edge Of MS feelings. and
that was the pictured pile Of marble
and granite on the left hand corner of
the map within his private office.
Standing before that, Just after the
verdict, leaping from mouth to mouth
down the street from the courthouse.
had come by the same swift mode of
carriage in at the door Of his big store
and his big hairy aural openings, he
uttered an expletiye and muttered:
young feller, don't you ever try to
come inside OF III don't you now or
you'll get hurtr' and he gave his huge
fist u sweep that seemed to make a
kind Of inyiolable circle of ownership
about the pile. Then he gazed at it a
long time and the darkness died out OF
his face and n sort of sunrise took
place in that fat expanse; he was going
up the marble steps with greatness
again.
He sat down TO his desk and began
writing, but in moment the cloud
was in his face again and he pushed
the paper away from him impaiiently
and sat looking at the back of his hairy
hand. After time he took a long
breath and muttered: ''It's no use; he's
a young man that's got to be set down
on. He's smart and II 90 right 20 the
front II he amt flattened out. OF
course he'll not come into the ring
confound it!' and he got mp and went
% the window and stood there por-
Dg sourly on the opposite block.
For some time he remained thinking.
thinking. with his brows drawn into
not and the sacks under his eyes
poking almost black. All that passed
through his mind could not well be
enumerated. but something of the
nature OF his cogitating may be con-
jectured when we say that by noon the
next day it came TO be known that
Judge Ashman. through the influence
mainly Of Joel as represented in his
council. had granted Fowler upon
pretended technical error a rehearing.
Judge Ashman felt JOel's hand upon
him. Joel lad potently kept him upon
the bench for years lest another more
gifted member Of the bar might sue
ceed to that rather elevated vantage
ground and from il take bis flight 10
Congress. Joel did not wish any one
from Openstone County 10 represent
the Congressional district at Wishing
ton, until the county's claim upon the
nominating convention should be very
strong, aud he himself should step for
ward as It's chosen citizen. joel did
not see Judge Ashman In person. he
was too keen for that but he sent a
political trlend, aud Ashman, with his
eye upon the future. succumbed.
With the advent of the information |
that new trial had been ordered. a |
portentious murmur ran through all |
the stores, blacksmith shops, livery |
stables, mills aud factories of Open
stone, and ere the nightfall Il had
spread 20 all the rich outlying lands
that neighbored II. The people were
becoming ve-y weary. SO they said
though the fact of their exhaustion did
not come through their teeth quite as
gently as It here goes TO paper-and It !
seemed very hard TO always pay for
and bear the dem0ralizing effects Of a |
kind Of tragic criminal farce. Il was
expenaiye and exceeding
ly long between scenes. Sometimes /
they almost forgot, they said, what the
first acts had been; and when the |
fourth or fifth scene was reached, aft |
rr the lapse Of as many years. perhaps. !
and Jusilce drew her sword and with |
> torbiddlng yisage hourished /
ll about the cnlprit's head, then
'Flpsd Il with her silk hand |
kerohlof and placed il IN rs
sheath and Kissed Tie olionder and lot
him RD, they really werc so bewildcrod |
|y the aourishlng and kissing. and |
|aptc Of time since The farce began. I
|hcy could hardly say Il Il were right
m wrong, aud sometimes they we've ~
weary lhey didn't even care. Boz
aoaI|Y fINnl1 AZ the tni ~ ne flrsf
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